Five new Twin Cities acts will compete for a gig in Austin, Texas.

Nearly 200 newbie bands signed up for Vita.mn’s fifth annual Are You Local? new-band contest. The public listened and voted, and five finalists emerged. (We used to do three finalists, but it just wasn’t enough. The more the merrier!)

These five wildly different acts — soul-rockers Black Diet, darker-edged rapper Botzy, violin shredder Jillian Rae, glossy indie-poppers Step Rockets and electro-rockers Teammates — will square off in 7th Street Entry on Thursday, March 6, during the Are You Local? showcase at First Avenue. The winner will instantly join our star-studded Mainroom lineup featuring the Cloak Ox, Dave Simonett, John Mark Nelson and Gramma’s Boyfriend, and get $1,000 to join the Vita.mn and First Avenue showcase at Holy Mountain Austin, Texas.